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Fourth Annual Festival of Women’s PlaysOpens Season at the Ivoryton Playhouse

The fourth annual Women Playwrights Initiative will take place Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton.

More than 170 plays from all over the country were submitted to the initiative and the four finalists will travel to Ivoryton from Washington State, California, Indiana, and Maryland to have their work presented in a series of staged readings.

The initiative includes the Ellie Award and a $500 stipend for each of the four women playwrights chosen. The goal of the initiative is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for the development of new, one-act plays with a director and actors. The plays are by and about women and the issues that shape their lives.

Two readings will be offered at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22: Savior by Sharon Goldner and 1200 miles to Jerome by Cyrstal V. Rhodes.

Savior features two modern moms at a yoga class dealing with this: What do you do when your five year old tells you he is the messiah?

1200 miles to Jerome is about the daunting experience of the Franklin family, which is traveling through the Deep South with a fugitive in tow in the 1940s. It is a journey in which “driving while black” could mean the difference between life and death.

At 7 p.m., the festival will continue with two more readings. Court, by Holly Arsenault, is an intimate look at divorce and custody battles from a child’s unique, funny, and raw perspective. Deanna and Paul by Dagney Kerr features Deanna, a quirky waitress with a strict no-tipping policy. Paul is a surly customer with a tight lid on his heart. Their lonely worlds collide one day in a small-town diner, where one cup of coffee can change everything.

For tickets ($10 to $30) and information on additional workshops and special festival deals with local restaurants, call 860-767-7318 or visit www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.